I’m leaving at the crack of dawn to ride over to Copper Mountain, from Silverthorne, to ride the Copper Triangle benefit ride.  This year is my year for these benefit rides.  I think I’ve done three now.

This ride happens to benefit the Davis Phinney Foundation, who is a friend of mine.  This ride has raised over $750,000 since 2006, so it is going to a good cause.

And breaking news, as of yesterday, Taylor Phinney, Davis’ son, is racing the Tour of Utah, which starts in a couple days.  This will be his first race back since he destroyed his leg at the US Professional Championships last year.  I hope it works out great for him.  It is also the return race for Peter Stetina, son of Dale Stetina, uncle, Wayne Stetina.  He got pretty smashed up himself this spring, and this will be a good place to get back into the swing of things.

Anyway, Vincent is driving over and I’m doing the hour before and a little less back.  I think, if all goes well, I’ll have around 112 miles total, with close to 8000 feet of climbing.  Pretty long day for me.

I took it easy yesterday, just riding over to Copper Mountain and back slow with Vincent.  It was 34 miles.  My throat feels amazingly better, but my legs have nothing.  Hopefully that won’t be the case today.  There are lots of sag stops, etc., so if I’m having one of those days, I’ll just poke along and enjoy the scenery.

I might be driving to Telluride after the ride, with Vincent, to go look at a puppy he is thinking about getting.  It’s a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon and there are only two puppies available.  I told him just to tell the guy he would take one.  Once you go see a puppy, you are going to get it about no matter what.  It is a 3 1/2 hour drive each way.

I been eating a bunch of eggs and kale for breakfast recently.  It is Vincent’s deal and now it is my deal.  It seems healthy when you make it with coconut oil, but I’m all mixed up with what is healthy for humans nowadays, so I am just hoping it is good for me because it tastes good and seems to stay with me on a long ride.

Okay, it is chilly out right now, 45, I think.  Not supposed to be above 60 until after 9am, 3 hours in.  It only makes you appreciate the warm more I guess.

Custom numbers and wrist bands. Kind of cool.

Start of breakfast.

I’ve been feeding the hummingbirds up here in the mountains. They are very hungry.

Sunset last night. It was a blue moon.